�鶹��

Available for over a year

March is international women’s history month, a time to highlight women’s contribution to past and contemporary society. One remarkable event with present-day implications took place in 18th century Jamaica. Arguably, it is the only time in history that an African woman defeated the British Army. A peace treaty in 1740 between the rebel leader 'Nanny,' her army of runaway slaves, and the British colonial authorities - marks the end of a guerrilla style insurgency that historians describe as 'The First Maroon War.' Nanny is revered, not only for her creative military exploits but also because of her spirituality. Oral history describes her as Ghanaian royalty. She was also a practitioner of African Traditional Religion – a way of life dedicated to harmonious living between humanity, nature, and the divine beings in the cosmos. Her ability to inspire her followers was enhanced by her spiritual powers of healing and discernment. The folding of the female body into military leadership and a profound spirituality also appears in Deborah's story in the Bible. In the Book of Judges, God appoints leaders to repel enemy attacks and restore a fragile peace in the land of Israel. Deborah leads the tribes of Israel into war against their Canaanite adversaries. The scribes record her victory in ‘The Song of Deborah' -- one of the oldest texts in the Bible. In Caribbean feminist Christianity, Nanny is a Deborah figure. Reinterpreted through the Judaeo-Christian story, she shares some of Deborah's narrative but also departs from it in significant ways. Like Deborah, Nanny is inspired by her faith, motivated by justice and leads her followers to victory against their oppressors. But unlike Deborah, Nanny's colonial story with its details of guerrilla warfare, the first use of camouflage and other forms of military deception is symbolic of a radical and subversive form of women's leadership. The story of Nanny makes a vital contribution to Women's History Month and the International Women’s Day theme, “choose to challenge.” This story reminds us Brits that much of our history takes place overseas. It is not only about the kings and queens on these shores. And remembering this fact is necessary to contest one of the greatest threats to our national wellbeing, 'selective historical amnesia.' Now that's an enemy, I believe, we all want to repel.